Skip to main content

The Black Within

The Black Within Game Cover
90%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:story, atmosphere
Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, stability
90% User Score Based on 89 reviews

Platforms

Xbox Series X|SPCEpic GamesPlaystation 5XboxWindowsPlayStation
Buy Nowfrom $3.76
Buy NowGet on Steam Buy NowGet on itch.io Store $9.99Buy NowGet on Xbox Games Store
The Black Within Game Cover

About The Black Within

The Black Within is a single player survival simulation game with horror, mystery and thriller themes. It was developed by waleedzo and was released on May 30, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

The Black Within is a single-player first-person psychological horror. When selling her soul for fame and fortune, Laila Rose faces the consequences of her actions. A tale of Greed, fear, and change.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
The Black Within screenshot
The Black Within screenshot
The Black Within screenshot
The Black Within screenshot
The Black Within screenshot
The Black Within screenshot
The Black Within screenshot
The Black Within screenshot
The Black Within screenshot
The Black Within screenshot
The Black Within screenshot
+7
Skip Games Like The Black Within

Games Like The Black Within

Looking for games like The Black Within? Here are top survival simulation recommendations with a horror, mystery and thriller focus, selected from player-similarity data — start with Mirror Forge, The Lightkeeper or Welcome to Kowloon.

Mirror Forge Image
74%188reviews

Mirror Forge

2022Survival Simulation
PCWindows
Games like Mirror Forge
The Lightkeeper Image
80%573reviews

The Lightkeeper

2025Simulation
PCWindows
Games like The Lightkeeper
Welcome to Kowloon Image
84%593reviews

Welcome to Kowloon

2023Simulation
PCWindows
Games like Welcome to Kowloon
Left Alone Image
73%738reviews

Left Alone

2016Survival Management
PCWindows
Games like Left Alone
Supernormal Image
68%440reviews

Supernormal

2024Survival Action Adventure
PCWindows
Games like Supernormal
Graveyard Shift Image
73%422reviews

Graveyard Shift

2023Open World Management
PCWindows
Games like Graveyard Shift
Summer of '58 Image
90%3kreviews

Summer of '58

2021Survival Simulation
PCWindows
Games like Summer of '58
The Complex: Expedition Image
92%1.6kreviews

The Complex: Expedition

2025Open World Simulation
PCWindows
Games like The Complex: Expedition
Amenti Image
80%1.1kreviews

Amenti

2025Simulation
PCWindows
Games like Amenti
Find Yourself Image
89%876reviews

Find Yourself

2021Survival Platformer
PCWindows
Games like Find Yourself
More games like The Black Within
Skip User Reviews

Reviews

90%Audience ScoreBased on 89 reviews
story19 positive mentions
stability1 negative mentions
  • Engaging story with a unique narrative centered on ambition, regret, and consequence in the music industry.
  • Good atmosphere and eerie environment with well-timed jump scares that effectively create tension without overuse.
  • Strong voice acting and sound design that enhance immersion and storytelling.
  • Smooth gameplay with clear objectives and light puzzles well-integrated to maintain flow.
  • Compact and focused experience suitable for a short horror walking simulator, especially impressive as a debut indie game.
  • Short length with limited replay value and a story that some find confusing or lacking depth and satisfying resolution.
  • Various bugs and glitches reported, including game-breaking bugs, inconsistent audio volume levels, and occasional freezing.
  • Graphics and certain assets feel basic or mismatched, with some environments lacking polish and occasional immersion-breaking elements.
  • Jump scares are somewhat generic and may become less effective over time; pacing and narrative clarity can sometimes feel rushed or uneven.
  • No manual save or achievements, with some frustration caused by unclear puzzle mechanics and requiring excessive item interaction clicks.

  • story

    57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    33% positive mentions, 62% neutral mentions, 5% negative mentions

    The story received mixed reviews, praised for its unique, atmospheric horror narrative centered on ambition and deals with dark consequences, but criticized for being sometimes confusing, rushed, or lacking depth and resolution. While some found it emotionally engaging and well-integrated with gameplay, others felt it was underdeveloped or illogical, though overall it effectively supports the eerie mood and thematic intent.

    • “Set in 2007, the story explores the fallout of that decision as Laila’s world gradually fractures into something darker and more surreal.”
    • “Through voice acting and carefully structured exposition, Laila’s story unfolds in layers.”
    • “For players who appreciate story-driven horror grounded in emotional themes, it delivers a thoughtful and haunting exploration of ambition’s darker side.”
    • “I missed a lot of the storyline due to that, so I found it very hard to follow along or get into what was going on the entire game.”
    • “The story is just nonsense, and it has no real resolution when you get to the end.”
    • “However... with that being said... I think this story is not only all over the place, but also highly unbelievable.”

  • atmosphere

    23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    70% positive mentions, 17% neutral mentions, 13% negative mentions

    The game is widely praised for its eerie and creepy atmosphere, which effectively combines well-timed jump scares, paranormal occurrences, and rich psychological storytelling. While not overly frightening in a traditional sense, the deliberate pacing and immersive design create a tense, introspective mood that resonates with fans of atmospheric horror. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a core strength that enhances the narrative and gameplay experience.

    • “The creepy atmosphere is great and very well done.”
    • “Atmosphere was great in this game, I loved the random paranormal activity that occurred in the house creating a sense of dread like something was behind you.”
    • “The game delivers good spooks and maintains a tense atmosphere.”
    • “General atmosphere is not really scary or even creepy, even though it tries.”
    • “The atmosphere is eerie, but the pacing is too deliberate, which can disrupt immersion.”
    • “The game relies on jump scares to create atmosphere, which can feel forced rather than genuinely unsettling.”

  • gameplay

    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    18% positive mentions, 64% neutral mentions, 18% negative mentions

    The gameplay focuses on exploration, environmental storytelling, and psychological horror rather than traditional survival mechanics, featuring typical puzzle-solving elements like finding keys to progress. It avoids common "run and hide" mechanics and runs smoothly, but its formulaic approach and short duration of around 45 minutes to an hour may leave some players wanting more, especially given its higher price point.

    • “The black within is a first-person psychological horror experience developed and published by waleedzo that centers on atmosphere, introspection, and narrative consequence rather than traditional survival mechanics.”
    • “Gameplay is built primarily around exploration and environmental storytelling.”
    • “Best of all, it avoids the overused “run and hide” mechanics that bog down so many horror games.”
    • “The gameplay is your typical horror game: find an item to open a door, then in the next room find an item to open a different door. It's a familiar and repetitive formula.”
    • “While it avoids major technical issues common in similar indie horror games, the gameplay feels like it uses a standard formula and each playthrough is nearly identical.”
    • “However, given the high asking price for such limited gameplay (about 1 hour), I would wait for a discount.”

  • graphics

    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    41% positive mentions, 41% neutral mentions, 18% negative mentions

    The graphics receive mixed reviews, ranging from basic and dated visuals with occasional technical issues to impressive and atmospheric artwork that enhances the narrative. While some find the visuals solid and well-executed, others note use of bought assets and clipping errors. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's eerie and immersive atmosphere despite some shortcomings.

    • “The atmosphere is eerie, the graphics are well done, and the movement feels smooth and responsive.”
    • “The graphics are also pretty damn good, and some of the puzzles, while easy, are pretty original.”
    • “This was a really good game with great graphics and story line.”
    • “The graphics are basic; there are some walls in certain places that haven't been clipped together, allowing you to see the outside at times.”
    • “Played on Linux using Proton Experimental; the graphics are a bit lacking and bought/free assets are used.”
    • “The graphics and interface are extremely dated for a new 2024 game.”

  • music

    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    33% positive mentions, 47% neutral mentions, 20% negative mentions

    The music is praised for its strong mood setting, effective sound design, and alignment with the game's psychological horror theme centered on the music industry. Players appreciate the soundtrack and sound effects, including jump scares, though some feel the narrative depth behind the music industry theme is somewhat surface-level. Overall, the audio elements, including voice acting, are considered well-executed and enhance the game's atmosphere.

    • “Not only the music, but the sound effects, as well as the sounds for the jump scares and horror aspects of the game are very well done.”
    • “Waleedzo has a very clear artistic vision and talent as seen in the cutscenes, music choice, and voice actors chosen for this project, all done very well.”
    • “Love the sound design; the best part is the song on the radio cinema.”
    • “- The grandiose music, deep quotes, etc. do not fit the narrative of a 50-minute little indie horror game.”
    • “Maybe it's something deeper about how the music industry is about selling your soul as someone else said, but it didn't really hit; it felt very surface level.”
    • “Some of the most effective moments weren't even accompanied by music!”

  • emotional

    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game effectively uses architectural and lighting distortions to reflect the protagonist’s emotional journey, creating a deeply immersive and atmospheric experience. Its exploration of themes like ambition, regret, and identity grounds the supernatural elements in emotional reality, offering a thoughtful and haunting narrative. Players particularly appreciate the emotionally impactful moments, such as the encouraging voiceover during the climax, which enhances the overall ambience.

    • “Distortions in architecture and lighting gradually intensify as the narrative progresses, mirroring Laila’s emotional state.”
    • “Themes of ambition, regret, identity, and consequence are woven throughout the experience, grounding the supernatural elements in emotional reality.”
    • “For players who appreciate story-driven horror grounded in emotional themes, it delivers a thoughtful and haunting exploration of ambition’s darker side.”

  • optimization

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's optimization is mixed, with some users experiencing high GPU usage even on default settings, while others report stable performance without issues.

    • “Voice acting is great and performance was good, no issues running it.”

  • humor

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by clever easter eggs, such as a hidden reference to xQc's emote, and funny sound effects like the item pickup noise that sounds like eating, adding a playful and amusing touch to the experience.

    • “Good Easter egg behind the painting of xQc's emote, made me laugh!”
    • “I think the sound for picking up items was hilarious, as it sounded like you were eating things instead of putting them in your pocket.”

  • stability

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, with users experiencing frequent bugs that can prevent completion. Overall, stability is a major concern affecting playability.

    • “I've had issues with other games, but this was so buggy for me I wasn't able to complete it.”

  • character development

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game delivers a focused psychological horror experience that emphasizes mood and deep character development rather than flashy visuals or action.

    • “Ultimately, The Black Within offers a compact psychological horror journey that prioritizes mood and character development over spectacle.”

  • replayability

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The game creates strong tension but falls short in replayability, offering limited incentive for multiple playthroughs.

    • “The black within offers good tension, but lacks replay value.”
Skip Game Offers

Buy The Black Within

Some of these are affiliate links — if you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Skip Videos

Videos

Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

The Black Within is a survival simulation game with horror, mystery and thriller themes. Common tags for The Black Within include first-person, demons, indie, psychological, exploration and others.

The Black Within is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, Windows and others.

The Black Within was released on May 30, 2024.

The Black Within was developed by waleedzo.

The Black Within has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked The Black Within for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

The Black Within is a single player game.

Similar games include Mirror Forge, The Lightkeeper, Welcome to Kowloon, Left Alone, Supernormal and others.